Najam Haider'den Çeviri: The Contested Life of ʿĪsā b. Zayd: Notes on the Construction of Zaydī Historical Narratives

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When Zaydī historical narratives are examined, two different narrative forms with opposite poles come to the fore regarding the life and struggle of ʿĪsā b. Zayd b. ʿAlī.  It is possible to see the most striking example of these contradictory narratives in two leading works of Zaydī historiography. The first of these is the Maqātil written by Abū al-Faraj al-Isbahānī (d. 356/967) and the second is the work Masābīh, which Abū al-Abbās Ahmad b. Ibrāhīm (d. 353/964) started writing but completed by Abū al-Hasan ʿAlī b. Bilāl after his death. In these accounts, which can be described as quietist and activist narratives, it is seen that there are some contradictory descriptions of ʿĪsā b. Zayd’s life story. Accordingly, in one form ʿĪsā is represented as a hermit and faint character who lives in misery and despair under harsh ‘Abbāsid oppression, while the other form chooses to depict him as a hero who constantly prepares for rebellion against ‘Abbāsid’s reign and manages to organize opposing groups structures around himself. At this point, it is necessary to question why such an approach was preferred in Zaydī historical sources. For example, what manner of approach was followed in the late historical sources of the Zaydī tradition? For what reason are the narratives in these sources constructed? On the other hand, why did the late historical sources give his brother Yahyā ibn Zayd and his cousin Idrīs ibn ‘Abd Allāh a “high” status in the history of the Zaydī imams even though they failed to achieve political power just like ʿĪsā? Yahyā failed in the rebellion movement and even made an agreement with the ‘Abbāsid caliph, Hārūn al-Rashīd. Despite this, Yahyā has always managed to take his place in the list of Zaydī imams in the later works. In this context, in the article we translated, some observations were made on the construction of Zaydī historical narratives in the context of contradictory accounts about the life of ʿĪsā b. Zayd.